Buick Lucerne Reviews from North America

2011 Buick Lucerne CX 3.9

Summary:

Faults:

Oil pan gasket at 7000km.

Trim on driver's door twice around 20,000km.

Air ride line somehow broke in the winter at 60,000km.

All repairs done under warranty.

General Comments:

I bought this car brand new after owning 6 or so GMs based on this architecture; I figured I was safe with buying the Lucerne. I ordered this car with cloth and a bench seat, plus all the comfort features I wanted.

Noise: This car is sarcophagus quiet; you shut the door and it's like you're in a tomb. It is incomparable to anything I have been in under 100,000 (Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, Merc, Lincoln). When you do some digging online, you can find that Buick spent a lot of time ensuring this car would take on a lot of tier 1 luxury cars in terms of interior sound.

Ride quality: I give 7/10, now I have been in smoother cars. The only things that come to mind are the Roadmaster and the Town Car. I owned a Park Avenue Ultra before this, and I do find the Lucerne to ride slightly nicer and it's a fair bit quieter. For uni-body cars for the time being, I think this is as good as it gets.

Engine: Although the 3900 does a decent job at getting you up to speed and giving you passing power, it's not the best. If I would have spent more time test driving, I would have bought it with the V8. The 3900 isn't a bad engine, I will pull low 30s for MPG on the highway, but I would have preferred the 3800 for peace of mind. I would have liked to see this car with a 3800 or a 3800 S/C for 2011.

Overall this is a very nice safe highway cruiser, and I'm sad to see this platform go. IMO I think this platform from GM could go toe to toe with any other manufacturers in terms of reliability. After driving quite a few new cars, there is nothing that can compare in terms of smooth ride and cab quietness.

27th Apr 2014, 17:05

I am glad to read you are happy with your Lucerne. I also purchased one brand new in May of 2011 and regretted the purchase almost from the beginning. Like you I had previously owned 2 Park Avenues, the last one being a loaded 2005 non-Ultra. I loved that car and felt the Lucerne did not measure up to it in most ways. I just felt the Park Avenue had a lot more luxury features and creature comfort, and I like the classic traditional styling much better. Unlike you, I thought the Park Avenue with the Dynaride suspension rode a lot smoother than the Lucerne, unless the Lucerne was fully loaded with people, then it was about equal and the nod might even go the Lucerne. My Park Avenue also got somewhat better fuel economy than the newer car, even though it was larger!

I ended up buying the Lucerne because I figured it would probably be the last larger Buick with a bench seat. My car was plagued with factory paint issues that the dealer never was able to fix to my satisfaction, and that is ultimately what turned me against a car I was never crazy about to begin with. I only ended up keeping it for 10 months before trading it for a 2012 Enclave, which I am now leasing.

Oddly enough, I currently plan to buy a used low mile Cadillac DTS, which shared the same platform with the Lucerne, when my lease on the Enclave is up next year. I like the more traditional styling of the Cadillac a lot better, plus it seems to have most of the features that were omitted on the Lucerne that my Park Avenues had.

2007 Buick Lucerne CXL 3.8 V6

Summary:

Faults:

Transmission started to slip at 142,000 miles (I later realized that the previous owner had flushed it; this causes problems).

Memory seat recall function is temperamental.

Front passenger's side tire pressure sensor failed at 155,000 miles; has yet to be replaced.

General Comments:

If I were to sum up the review of this vehicle into one sentence - much like you will see as the title of this review - it would be that the Lucerne is like driving a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. It is exceptionally comfortable, has just the right amount of bells and whistles to tackle just about any climate or situation, and is extremely quiet; even at highway speeds. As the keen reader may notice from the information panel on my review, I love large cars and find them to be the best types of vehicles for my 80-mile-a-day commute to-and-from school, work and home. Having previously owned a 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis, I decided to look into cars of similar size and specifications. Now, I admit, after lots and lots of car shopping it seemed that the Ford Panther Platform was the way for me to go. After all, I was so used to this Grand Marquis, so why not get another one or go a bit more "upscale" and opt in for a Town Car? I found myself asking the same question over and over. That is, until I ran across the Buick Lucerne.

I found an inventory listing for a reputable dealership that was relatively close to my house (say, an hour's worth of driving) and decided to drive down there and take a look. It was there that I had located the very same car that I am driving around in now: a 2007 Sharkskin Grey Buick Lucerne CXL. After the first test drive I was hooked and I knew that I had to have this vehicle. The road handling characteristics are great, as it had a very smooth, quiet and comfortable ride - both in town and on the highway. In addition, it had loads of other features that my Grand Marquis had lacked; such features included rain-sensitive wipers, OnStar, Satellite Radio, heated and power-operated front-driver and front-passenger seats, and much more. Even though it had 141,000 miles on it, I decided to buy it due to its good condition and well-documented service history.

Moving forward, I now have around 160,000 miles on it and haven't looked back. This vehicle has been nothing but good to live with, and reliability has been near-perfect. However, like with most cars, this Buick does have its share of pro's and con's - which I shall list out below:

PROS

* Comfortable, quiet ride

* A good amount of features, including heated power-operated front seats and automatic level control for the rear shocks

* Good looks (I wish those portholes were functional, though)

* Relatively low running costs

* Decent gas mileage

CONS

* The V6 could use a bit more power (199 horsepower from a 3.8? A bit more would be nice!)

* (This is going to sound "typically American", but...) the cupholders are a bit narrow and shallow. If you take a wide enough, turn your drink is bound to spill

Overall, the Lucerne is an excellent car that I feel will continue to serve me well for years to come. It's a shame that GM stopped making this, because it was truly worth keeping and updating! Anyone looking for a reliable, comfortable vehicle should definitely check one of these out!

6th Sep 2013, 17:48

I bought a brand new 2011 Lucerne CXL in May 2011. I was never happy with it and should have never purchased it. I traded in a 2005 Park Avenue for it, so maybe I was spoiled?

I never thought the ride was that exceptional, except when the car had other passengers, which seemed to somewhat smooth out the ride (the more the better). It also had some small issues with the paint job that were never properly addressed even after 3 attempts that were covered by the warranty.

After 10 months I was fed up. I did like the front split bench and column mounted gear selector, and a few other features which are no longer offered on modern automobiles.

I am now leasing a 2012 Buick Enclave, which I like a lot better, but miss the super smooth ride of a traditional large American car. I am glad that you are happy with yours though.